The Corporations Strike Again

I've been saying it since the very beginning: It's the corporations, man!... For years they have had a chokehold on our politics, reducing free elections to the helpless and wheezing jokes they are today. They have poisoned the environment, exploited children, and shipped much-needed jobs overseas. And now, in a fashion so very much like the hubristic Dr. Frankenstein, the Supreme Court has pulled the lightning-switch, declaring "It's alive! It's alive!!". Yes, it's true. In their ruling today on Citizens United vs. Federal Election Board, the Court essentially granted corporations, blood-sucking monsters that they are, all same rights under the Constitution as a living, breathing, American citizen. In their ruling the Supreme Court decided to revoke legal limits on how much a corporation, labor union, or other interest group could give to a political campaign. They placed the ability to produce campaign adds under the protection of the 1st amendment, as a form of free speech, and ruled that it is unconstitutional to deny corporations that right. But the Court failed to consider one vital fact: corporations are not people. All the people within any corporation are entitled to freedom of speech under the 1st amendment, campaign finance laws or no. These laws did nothing to restrict individual liberty, and did not violate the Constitution. Unlike the individual voices that the 1st amendment is supposed to protect, corporations have no personal or ethical stake in American politics. Their only incentive in the political arena is maximizing profit. Without any limits on their influence, corporations can now completely dominate campaigns, making or breaking the political careers of whomever best suits their interests. Anyone who thinks that this will not lead to deal-making and corruption of the highest order is sadly mistaken. In effect, Americans will no longer vote for candidates, but corporations--money making machines with no reason to keep any promise.

Ali Tannir

Today in class, my friend Ali had a pack of mints. Due to the lack minty-freshness in my mouth I subsequently asked for one. He then said, the only way he would give me a mint was if i blogged about him, so, here it goes: his name is Ali Tannir, i think he has two brothers, he likes finger boarding and John Brown and hates the corporations. The mint was delicious.

here is a pursuassive essay on health care reform i wrote a few months ago... enjoy

 

Healthcare Reform?

 

            Shouldn’t everyone have the right to health care? I certainly think so. With 47 million Americans going without health insurance, (according to the U.S. Census Bureau), a change is obviously needed. The Institute of Medicine reports every industrialized country except the United States has adopted that universal health care. It is also provided in many developing countries. Even though almost every other country successfully provides universal health care America has yet to do so. The twenty seventh amendment of the U.S constitution states that “…nor shall any state deprive any person of life.” Yet all of America has apparently never read the 14^th amendment since there’s currently no public option in health care. The republican side argues that they don’t want the government involved in something as important as health care. One would think that the ideal system to trust would be the government, a non-profit option, but apparently not. “I want the right to choose my doctor.” is often used as a reason not to move towards mandated universal health care, reform and a public option. However in his health care address to the nation on September 10^th, President Obama specifically stated that everyone would be able to keep his or her current doctors.

One might argue that a public option would impair the free market but if a public option proves to be successful it is actually a perfect example of the free market at work.  If consumers like the public option better it is all part of the free market competition and if the other private insurance companies go out of business it’s their fault for not rising to the competition, lowering prices, or improving service. Ultimately, there is no good philosophical reason that people should pay an extra 20 percent for marketing and advertising and corporate profit.

About half of all bankruptcy filings in the United States are due to medical expenses (says health affairs journal 2005). Often these people actually have health insurance, but inadequate or dishonest insurance. While these people are suffering to keep their homes, Ron Williams the C.E.O of Aetna is making 24,300,112 dollars a year. With the public option those people would have the choice of health care and could avoid bankruptcies. Since the government runs option is motivated by the good will of the people, corruption wouldn’t be an issue.

Let me give an example from my own family life that shows the indefensible and ridiculous position of the for profit health insurer. My older brother has autism. A disease that affects communication. Aetna and then blue cross denied my brother speech therapy, because they said,” he doesn’t speak, so he doesn’t need speech therapy. “ This is not the position of a company that cares about people’s wellbeing. It is common that pre-existing conditions can even prevent people who could potentially afford insurance from getting it.

Ultimately, both sides are not equal. America is still the richest country in the world.

We provide military protection, public education, highways, police protection, and an impartial justice system to our citizens. Likewise we should provide basic health care.

Deuteronomy tells us that the poor shall always be with us and therefore we must get used to it and take care of them. It is not a crime to be poor in America, so why should

The poor be punished with little or no health care.

Hello fellow bloggers!

Dear fellow internet consumers, 

I am new to the blogging world, so would you all mind helping me out by visiting my page several times a day and telling all your friends so that I may amass a small fortune? I really could use some biscuit money, as I am feeling rather peckish. 

That fortune could also contribute to my shampoo-fund, which at the moment is seriously lacking. Errr... wait, ermm, never mind that. I don't have a shampoo fund, I am a very well kept young person. I want to seem like an upstanding gentleman.